Safety shoe



E. F. BAIRD SAFETY SHOE Sept. 7, 1943.

Filed Aug. l, 1941 Patented ySept. 7, 1943 2,328,601 SAFETY SHOE EarleF. Baird, Waltham, Mass., assignor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation o! New York Application August 1, 1941,serial No. 405,046

(ci. afs-77) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to footwear, and more especially to safety shoesfor protecting the feet against injury.

Heretofore it has beenl proposed to provide boots and shoes with a stifftoe cap of metal built into the article over the toes of the wearer toprevent crushing of the toes by heavy objects falling on the toe of thearticle.

Due to the rigid nature of the metal toe reinforcement, it has beenfound difiicult to construct such shoes properly, as the metal parts,even when cast from the same pattern or formed in the same die havevaried considerably in dimensions and the lasts upon which the shoeshave been built have also varied in dimensions. It has been found thatno matter how carefully the toe portion of the shoe has been designedand constructed, normal manufacturing variations have caused suchlooseness of iit or air space between the last and the metal toereinforcement as to prevent entirely satisfactory adhesion of the liningto the metal toe reinforce ment. This loose lining condition has beenundesirable as the wearers toe has quickly worn through the lining andhas been exposed to contact with the metal. The worn lining has bunchedand wrinkled, causing injury of the toes of the wearer.

The present invention difficulties and others, and to provide animproved product. 'Ihe principal objects of the invention are to provideimproved protection for the toes of the wearer, to provide eilectivecushioning 'of the toes from the metal toe reinforcement, to provide forcompensating for variation between the metal parts and the lasts, toprovide improved adhesion of the generally to provide facility ofmanufacture and neatness of construction.

These and other objects will appear from the following description andthe accompanying drawing.

Of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the toe of an article of footwearembodying the invention, other parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the lasted article as partiallycompleted, parts being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cushioning material prior to assembly inthe shoe.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view thereof, taken on line 5 5 lOf Fg 4.

In accordance with the invention, a layer of aims to overcome theseparts of the shoe, and

unvulcanized sponge rubber or other rubber-like composition is assembledwith other parts of the shoe and is positioned between the lining of theshoe and the metal toe cap so that during vul canization of the article,the composition is blown to provide a sponge rubber cushion completelyfilling the space between the metal toe cap and the lasted liningregardless of the dimensions of the space therebetween, and in theiinished shoe provide for cushioning the toes of the wearer from therigid metal toe cap.

Referring to the drawing, the shoe comprises an insole I0 which in theconstruction of the shoe cemented over the insole at its margins I2. Acushion I3 of sponge rubber is secured on one under the margin of themetal toe cap. The upper Il of the shoe is lasted over the metal toecap. A filler sole I8 is applied over the insole within the spaceprovided by overlapping margins I9 of the upper, and an outsole 20 issecured over the ller sole and the margins I9 of the upper. All of theparts are secured to each other by vulcanization.

In building the shoe, unvulcanized sponge rubber composition and the gumstrip I6 are assembled on the rubberized fabric toe cap I 4 and shown inFigs. 4 and 5. The insole and lining are assembled over a last and theassembled fabric toe cap and sponge composition are cemented plied overthe metal toe cap turned over the insole. The ller sole and the outsoleare then applied in succession and cemented in place. The assembledarticle is then subjected to heat to vulcanize the rubber material.

and its margins are ber materials, providing a cushioaover the toes ofthe wearer to protect them` from the metalu The 'gum strip I6 provides amore solid cushion under the rear edge of thefmetal toe cap to preventcutting of the foot should the metal be crushed.

Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the inventionas itis dened by the following claims.L

I' claim:

1. An article of footwear comprising an outsole, a metal toe cap mountedon said outsole,`

an upper extending about the toe cap with its margins secured to thesole, a 'fabric lining secured to the upper rearwardly of the toe capand extending under the toe cap to the sole of the article in spacedrelation to the inner surface of the toe cap substantially throughoutthe extent of said surface, and a cushion layer of sponge rubbermaterial substantially illing the space between the lining and the toecap and extending from the rear margin of the toe cap to the sole of thearticle, said cushion layer being bonded to the toe cap and the liningthroughout aaeaeoifl their cushion contacting surfaces and providing anenclosing cushion for the toes of the wearer..

2. An. article of footwear comprising an outsole, a metal toe capmounted on said outsole, an upper extending about the toe cap with itsmargins secured to the sole, a fabric lining secured to the upperrearwardly of Athe toe cap and extending under the toe cap to the soleof the article in spaced relation to the inner surface oi the toe capsubstantially throughout the extent of said surface, a protective stripof dense soit rubber material secured along the rear margin of the toecap between the innerrsurface of the toe cap and the lining, and acushion layer of sponge rubber material substantially filling the spacebetween the lining and the toe cap and extending from said strip to thesole of the article, said cushion layer being bonded to the toe cap andthe lining throughout their cushion-contacting surfaces and providing anenclosing g cushion for the toes of the wearer.

EARLE F. BARD.

